Floating: The Latest Architecture and News

Marshall Blecher & Studio Fokstrot have introduced “wilderness and whimsy”, to the Danish capital by creating a series of floating islands in the city’s harbor. Adding a new archetype to the urban space, the project can be used by boaters, fishermen, kayakers, stargazers, and swimmers.

Located on Qetaifan Island North in proximity to Lusail International Stadium, which will host the opening and final games of the FIFA World Cup 2022, ADMARES and Sigge Architects are developing 16 floating hotels to serve tourists and fans that will be visiting Qatar.

More than half of the planet is composed of water and most of the population lives in its vicinity. These sites are increasingly affected by environmental disasters or the increase in water levels caused by global warming, forming a scenario that brings new challenges to the way we live and think the buildings in coastal or riverine areas.

Floating architecture can adapt to changes in water levels and different climatic conditions, signaling a possible way to solve the problems pointed out. To increase your repertoire of floating references, we have gathered here 15 projects that have been implemented directly in the waters and have the most different uses: housing, cultural, educational, recreational and infrastructure.

Vincent Callebaut Architectures have developed a design plan reimagining the riverbank of Yeouhido Park, Seoul. The park is envisioned as an experimental urban space dedicated to sustainable development through a series of interventions - including a floating ferry terminal. Named the “Manta Ray,” the ambition of the proposal is to transform the park into an ecological forest of trees, enhancing its natural irrigation and strengthening the banks from floods. The “permeable landscaping” seeks to reduce floods and rehabilitate urban ecosystems that have become fragmented through Seoul’s rapid built expansion. The vegetation-dominated strategy also seeks to reduce the urban “heat island” effect Seoul has been experiencing due to climate change over the past decades.